OVER THE COUNTER: Supplements should reinforce, not replace, a good diet

By Gary Kracoff and John Walczyk/Daily News Correspondents

Tuesday

Oct 30, 2018 at 12:42 PMNov 1, 2018 at 5:00 PM

It's easy to dismiss taking vitamins and minerals during the summer, when products from the farmers market can hold much more than any pill. Strawberries, carrots, kale, spinach and tomatoes alone can provide us with generous amounts of important vitamins such as A, B, C and K, and several minerals. With a little more variety, the entire alphabet of vitamins can become a tasty, juicy joy to consume. In addition, fresh foods hold many other benefits: enzymes, fiber, flavonoids, amino acids and a host of nutrients.

But the reality is that even if you eat all the right fruits and vegetables, their quality can vary depending on how old they are, how far they traveled to get to your plate, how they were stored, and where they were grown. Winter in New England means most everything you buy in the produce section of the grocery store had to take a long trip to get here.

Though some people balk at supplements, they are a good, often cheap, way to ensure your family is getting the nutrients it needs. Most people even take some form of supplement and don’t realize it, such as when they eat fortified cereals, rice, breads and milk.

On the other hand, supplementing your diet is much less complicated and costly than marketers and advertisers would have you believe. And what you should take regularly – assuming you eat a nutritious diet and have no particular health conditions – is minimal. We recommend a basic “core four” regimen that includes a multivitamin and multimineral pill; probiotics; omega-3 fatty acids; and antioxidants.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

Check your gut. Diets and supplements should be tailored to individual needs. Consider getting an evaluation by a functional dietitian/nutritionist, who will likely run blood tests to get the full picture of your metabolic function and create a program to meet your body’s needs. Some individuals have nutritional depletion as a result of medical conditions like leaky gut, and it is important to know how to manage that before embarking on a program of supplementation. If your body is not capable of absorbing or breaking down nutrients, a specialized program is needed. Think of pouring water in a flower pot with a large hole in it; the water and its nutrients never get absorbed by the plant.

Small letters are better. Avoid multi-pills with mega-doses that will either be excreted in your urine or get stored in your body to possibly dangerously high levels. Also, buy a quality multivitamin and mineral supplement that will be easy to digest and meet daily requirements.

Live and let live. Americans traditionally frown on foods high in probiotics: We tend to think food should be sealed tight, suffocated of air, and dead. But most foods containing probiotics – also known as “good” bacteria – are very much alive, including certain yogurts, kimchi, homemade sauerkraut and other fermented foods. Unless you’re eating these dishes regularly, we suggest a quality probiotic with about a dozen types of bacteria, which can improve gut health, digestion and immune system health.

Fat is back. Another important nutrient is Omega 3 fatty acids, which are found in abundance in fish such as salmon and sardines. The fatty acids are believed to lower triglyceride levels, blood pressure, and risk of clotting, stroke and other heart woes. If you don’t eat fish at least twice weekly, we recommend taking a high-quality supplement that’s been verified to contain no mercury.

Say yes to antioxidants. Antioxidants include vitamin C and vitamin E, selenium, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin. These help combat the free-radical damage of cells caused by exercise, air pollution and sunlight.

During the fall and winter you should consider other supplements, too. Vitamin D, for example, is a critical vitamin that is mostly obtained through exposure to sunlight. During the short days of winter, when you’re all bundled up, you’re more likely to become deficient in the nutrient, especially if you’re older. Low vitamin D levels can lead to fragile and brittle bones and possibly disrupted insulin production and reduced immune function.

Because the colder months are also when you’re more likely to get sick, we recommend several supplements to boost the immune system, too. In lozenge form, zinc, for example, can help kill the common cold. Taken just after the start of symptoms, some believe zinc can shorten our battle with the virus. Intranasal zinc should be avoided, however, as the products may have side-effects including loss of smell.

Certain herbal supplements, such as black elderberry, can also help at the very first signs of sickness. Ginger, meanwhile, may help with stomach discomfort.

While all the supplements we mention here are safe at proper dosages, you should inform your primary care provider of what vitamins, herbal remedies and minerals you’re taking, because they could interact with other medications or exacerbate certain conditions. Zinc, for example, may interfere with some antibiotics, and vitamin K with blood thinners. If you eat commercial cereals, which are often fortified with nutrients, you should check them against your “multis” to make sure you’re not getting too much of a good thing, such as iron, which in high doses can be harmful.

Finally, remember, no pill can replace the benefits provided by consuming fresh fruits and vegetables. But taking the right ones can help you maintain good health.

Gary Kracoff has a degree in naturopathic medicine and is a registered pharmacist and John Walczyk is a compounding pharmacist at Johnson Compounding & Wellness in Waltham, Mass. For more information, visit www.naturalcompounder.com. Readers with questions about natural or homeopathic medicine, compounded medications, or health in general can e-mail gary@naturalcompounder.com or call 781-893-3870.